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Horrormovies have been captivating audience since the film diligence ’s early days . German Expressionist film like F. W. Murnau ’s 1922 silentNosferatu : A Symphony of Horrorwere among the first film to inclose the archetypes of on - screen terror . Considering the movie was remade over a century subsequently withRobert Eggers’Nosferatu , it ’s unmortgaged that the idolization for the genre has remain over sentence . However , despite its popularity among moviegoer , repulsion has an unusual relationship with manufacture critics .
It ’s rarefied for the median scary picture show to have a gamy Rotten Tomatoes scotch , permit alone bring home an Oscar . The first horror movie to be put up for Best Picture wasThe Exorcistin 1973 . In total , only seven have been nominated for the top class , withTheSilence of the Lambsbeing the sole winner . TheOscar ’s 2025 Best Picture nomineesbrought this issue to seven afterCoralie Fargeat’sThe Substancewas late total to the roster . regrettably , the Academy has missed its mark on many deserve titles .
10The Omen (1976)
Directed By Richard Donner
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It ’s easy to gauge a motion-picture show ’s influence when it inspires a four - installment franchise and a remake . Richard Donner’sThe Omeneffectively established the diabolic child trope that is now all too familiar in horror . There ’s something so unsettling about pure immorality under the pretence of an innocent human face . The original reading was the first try at the construct , and it has n’t been match since . This film enter Damien ( Harvey Spencer Stephens ) , an adopted evil toddler set on wreaking mayhem on the world around him .
Only seven picture in the history of the revulsion literary genre have been nominated for the Best Picture award at the Oscars , creating a small , elite night club .
After its 1976 release , The Omenwas constitute for two Academy Awards , Best Song and Best Score , for which Jerry Goldsmith won the latter . Given how warm the atmosphere and performances are , it seems unhinged that the movie did n’t have a Best Picture nominating speech . The recent 2024 prequel dubbedThe First Omen is also astonishingly strong and will hopefully give more realisation to the story moving forward .
9Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Directed By Roman Polanski
Rosemary ’s Babyinspired an entire generation to stop over hang out with their neighbors . It ’s as classic of a repulsion photographic film as they come , and one of the most placeable title of the genre . consider its critical acclaim , it seems like a Best Picture nominating address would be an expectation , if not a guarantee . Unfortunately , the picture run out to strike gold at the 41st Academy Awards . Rosemary ’s Babywas nominate for two awards in total , with the only winner being Mia Farrow for Best Supporting Actress .
However , it is n’t surprising that the film came up short . No other horror movie had been name for the award previously , and nobody bear anything to change . Nevertheless , Rosemary ’s Babyelevated the writing style to fresh heights that deserve credit . The unique paranoia - get dynamic of the secret plan is relatable to unsubtle audiences , which makes the premise all the more terrifying . It was recently give a prequel with Natalie Erka James’Apartment 7A , but the review have been less than stellar .
8Hereditary (2018)
Directed By Ari Aster
In 2018 , Ari Aster pull off an implausibly difficult feat : a critically acclaimed modern repulsion flick . Although picture show likeGet OutandThe Witchdemonstrate that it ’s still possible for these director to strike gold , it ’s a uncommon occurrence . Hereditaryexcels in all measuring of quality . It ’s a refreshingly original storey that takes the genre in a new management while integrate an approach to scourge that does n’t leave anyone safe .
While it is surely upsetting thatHereditarywas never name for Best Picture , the fact that Toni Collette did n’t win or was even nominated for Best Actress is regard as one of the full-grown Oscar snub in modernistic history . There have been few performances in late years that hold a taper to her work as the on the face of it ordinary female parent slowly transforms into a nightmarish demon that terrorizes the family . Although the competition at the 90th Academy Awards was strong , Hereditaryshould still have been a rival . It ’s easily one of thebest A24 moviesand a marvel of modern revulsion .
7The Thing (1982)
Directed By John Carpenter
It ’s funny how decisive reception lean to change in retrospect ; there are enough ofpoorly received movies that became classic . Sometimes , individuals of the full stop do n’t realise greatness immediately . In the shell of John Carptenter’sThe Thing , hindsight was 20 - 20 . Despite being regarded as one of the greatest sci - fi movies ever made , the critic and audiences of 1982 did n’t obligate the same opinion . It was n’t just that masses call up the movie was bad , they actively pile on the negativism .
A long - forgotten series of comic from Dark Horse do the biggest question from John Carpenter ’s The Thing . However , should it have an answer ?
The Thing’sscore was nominated for a Razzie Award , meaning that it was collectively recognized for its want of quality . The same score is now held on a pedestal for its eerie innovation . This movie is second to none in its power to create a chilling atmosphere . A monster that can get into the form of its victim is terrify enough , but when it ’s redact in an isolated setting , the result is concentrated to learn . For being hailed as one of the writing style ’s greats , The Thingdeserved so much more .
6The Witch (2016)
Directed By Robert Eggers
Robert Eggers has continued his streamlet as one of the most exciting filmmaker of the modern multiplication . His full - length feature resume reflects a vocation of quality over measure , consisting ofThe Lighthouse , The Northman , Nosferatu , and most significantly , The Witch . It was his first try at a commercial repugnance movie , but the answer made it seem like a product of a veteran director . Eggers specializes in his geographic expedition of folklore , andThe Witchis no exception .
It ’s an anxiety - producing , slow - suntan full stop piece about a child abduction that never fails to be unsettling . Unfortunately , the movie was also nowhere to be seen at the Academy Awards . In all fairness , The Witchisn’t a traditional Best Picture candidate . Even if it were n’t a horror film , the off - beat moral force of the plot makes the audience collection recess . That say , the overall calibre speaks for itself , and worse choice were constitute in its stead . After the succeeder ofNosferatu , Robert Eggers ' next repulsion moviewill undoubtedly be something special .
5Alien (1979)
Directed By Ridley Scott
Although it started as a rummy spaceship repulsion flick , Alienhas easy carve out a fully fledged cinematic universe since its 1979 release . It ’s also considered one of thebest sci - fi movies of all time , and there is n’t much of a debate . Ridley Scott managed to establish a extensive array of fresh cinematic milestone while demonstrating the potency that the outer space horror musical style had to extend . However , creating a film in a sci - fi globe does n’t aid its opportunity with the Academy , and impart an element of horror makes the betting odds even weak .
The original rubric forAlienwasStar Beast.
Alienwas nominated for two honor at the 52nd Oscars ceremony , winning Best Visual Effects but coming up short for Best Art Direction . Scott ’s employment of groundbreaking practical effects fetch the Xenomorphs to lifein a path that nobody could ’ve expect . substantially yet , they were incorporated into a gritty , realistic , and terrorize plot of ground with tensity that has n’t been replicated since . It ’s a motion-picture show that survive the competition for the yr and was snubbed of proper recognition .
4The Others (2001)
Directed By Alejandro Amenábar
Despite its substantial box office succeeder , Alejandro Amenábar’sThe Othersremains relatively unknown in the mineral vein of go - to horror celluloid . Armed with a pocket-size budget of $ 17 million , the movie was a arduous - hitter in theaters , bringing in a worldwide gross of $ 210 million . Unsurprisingly , the response was very electropositive among audiences and critics alike . The Othersuses the small quad it ’s given and creates a memorable piece of horror .
The plot comply Grace Stewart ( Nicole Kidman ) , a mother hold out with light-sensitive child in a dark acres home that quickly turns into a threatening residence . consider the trigger-happy competition with the origin ofThe Lord of the Rings , itwasn’t a strong enough labor to play home the claim . With that being said , Amenábar ’s direction and Kidman ’s carrying into action were warm enough to deserve a nominating speech . The Others’endingalso offers a unparalleled twist that blow the lid off the apparent circumstances .
3Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Directed By Francis Ford Coppola
Often herald as one of the greatest music director of all time , Francis Ford Coppola is no stranger to memorable films . FromThe GodfathertoApocalypseNow , he ’s been massively influential in the phylogeny of Hollywood . However , Bram Stoker ’s Draculais often outshine by the director ’s magnum opus , and although the film arrive in the latter part of his career , it ’s a criminally underrated addition to the horror musical style .
Coppola ’s imagination of the Dracula narrative profit from its adherence to the author material . Bram Stoker ’s original 1897 novel is horrifying on its own , and Coppola used this to his reward . Gary Oldman ’s virtuoso portrayal of the cunning Count Dracula only improve the mathematical product further . Luckily , the Academy members of the sentence recognise aspect of its quality . The moving-picture show brought home award for Best Costume Design , Best Effects , and Best Makeup , but fell little of a Best Picture nominating speech .
2The Shining (1980)
Directed By Stanley Kubrick
The Shiningtends to surface quickly in conversation of thescariest movies of all time . From the mind of Stephen King and the directorial art of Stanley Kubrick , it ’s a perfect storm of two creatives at work . One would expect such an iconic picture to garner excellent critical reception from the arcsecond it hit dramatic art , but this was n’t the case . When it came out in 1980,The Shiningwas considered a double-dyed flop .
The Wendy Theory is a theory about Stanley Kubrick ’s The Shining , a picture show that has remained in pop cultivation , partly because of its many theories .
Audiences of the period were n’t comfortable with the dull - tan , atmospherical narrative that Kubrick is so famed for . It proved to work for2001 : A Space Odyssey , but critics felt up like it was boring in a horror - themed surround . The psychological whirlpool was nothing more than a interference to the final activity . confrontation to the movie was so high thatKubrick and Shelly Duvall were both put up for Worst Director and speculative Actress Razzies . As absurd as it sounds now , the Best Picture Nomination was off the board .
Custom Image By Yeider Chacon
1Misery (1990)
Directed By Rob Reiner
If a motion picture is critically acclaimed , successful at the box office , and arm with the Best Actress winner in the leading role , how can it die to even be considered for Best Picture?Miseryarguably deserved the nominating speech more than any other filmin the literary genre . Dances With Wolveswon the 63rd Academy Awards , but the rivalry was n’t firm enough to barMiseryfrom a simple nominating address . consider it ’s Stephen King beginning fabric , the write up was guaranteed to be great . However , the cast and crew go the surplus mile .
Kathy Bates ’s performance as Annie Wilkes is one of the best to ever hit the screens , a feat that earned her a Best Actress profits . It ’s easy to block thatMiserytakes position in one blot for the majority of its runtime . Director Rob Reiner utilize the horror of closing off and helplessness in a perspective that experience personal . It ’s as if the hearing is similarly confined to the cabin of solitude . Miserymight not have been the obvious winner , but a Best Picture nominating address only seems bonny , if it weren’thorror .
